Chapter 12.25 PHYSICAL ADDRESSING CODE

The purpose of this chapter is to further enhance the Okanogan County E-911 System and to provide for a uniform county-wide addressing system for all buildings to assist emergency and postal services, and to promote the general public health, safety, and general welfare of the citizens of unincorporated Okanogan County. (Ord. 2002-2 § 2(1.02), 2002)

12.25.030 Administration.

The planning director of the Okanogan County office of planning and development (“department”), or designee, is vested with the duty of administering, implementing, and interpreting the provisions of this chapter. The planning director or designee may prepare and/or require the use of such forms and information as deemed necessary to administer the provisions of this chapter. (Ord. 2002-2 § 2(1.03), 2002)

12.25.040 Compliance with regulations.

No physical address shall be given within unincorporated Okanogan County except in full compliance with the provisions of this chapter. Physical addresses and road names in place at the time of adoption of this chapter which do not meet the requirements of this chapter shall be allowed to be used. Attempts shall be made by the department to correct the inaccuracy. (Ord. 2002-2 § 2(1.04), 2002)

12.25.050 Scope.

This chapter shall apply to all public and private lands situated within the unincorporated portions of Okanogan County over which Okanogan County has jurisdiction under the constitutions and laws of the state of Washington and of the United States and shall set forth minimum standards in addition to such other standards that may be applicable. (Ord. 2002-2 § 2(1.05), 2002)

Article II. Definitions

12.25.060 Definitions – Generally.

Whenever the words and phrases set forth in this chapter appear in this title, they shall be given the meaning attributed to them by this chapter. When not inconsistent with the context, words used in the present tense shall include the future; singular includes the plural and the plural the singular; “shall” is always mandatory and “may” indicates a use of discretion in making a decision.

A. “Accessory building” means all structures as defined by OCC 17A.20.015.

B. “Address” means a property location identification including the following elements: number, directional prefix, road name (unit number, if applicable).

C. “Avenue (Ave)” means a road designator/suffix for roads within an incorporated or unincorporated city or town.

D. “Boulevard (Blvd)” means a road designator/suffix for roads within an incorporated or unincorporated city or town.

E. “Building” means any structure having a roof supported by columns or walls and intended for the shelter, housing, or enclosure of any individual, animal, process, equipment, goods, or materials of any kind.

F. “Business establishment” means a place of business and shall include all structures used for commercial, industrial, and manufacturing activities as defined by OCC Title 17A.

G. “Circle (Cir)” means a road that circles back upon itself.

H. “Contrasting” means to arrange or display in such a way that highlights or displays differences between the lightest and darkest colors.

I. “Court (Ct)” means a permanent dead-end or cul-de-sac road traveling north/south and not an extension of an existing road or a continuation of a proposed road.

J. “Department” means the Okanogan County office of planning and development.

K. “Drive (Dr)” means any vehicular way either by use, by approved plat, or approved by other action, whether improved or unimproved and not classified as an avenue, boulevard, court, circle, loop, lane, way, place, road or street.

L. “Driveway” means a private way, beginning at the property line of a lot abutting a public road, private road, easement or private right-of-way, giving access from that public road, recorded easement, recorded private road or private right-of-way, and leading to a building, use or structure on that lot.

M. “Driving surface” means the furthest extent of the traveled road surface including the shoulder.

N. “Dwelling” means a building or portion thereof that contains living facilities, used either full-time or part-time, as defined by Chapter 15.04 OCC.

O. “Lane (Ln)” means a short road that is 1,000 feet or less in length.

P. “Loop (Lp)” means a short road that begins and ends on the same road.

Q. “Place (Pl)” means a short road used in a cul-de-sac traveling east/west.

R. “Planning director” means the Okanogan County office of planning and development planning director or planning director’s designee.

S. “Primary access” means access as defined by OCC 16.08.125, as now and/or hereafter amended.

T. “Private road” means any road which provides legal access to three or more buildings and/or parcels as defined by OCC 16.08.130, as now and/or hereafter amended.

U. “Public road” means any portion of public right-of-way which provides vehicular circulation as defined by OCC 16.08.140, as now and/or hereafter amended.

V. “Recreational lot” means a parcel, space, or unit owned, rented, or leased for recreational purposes and not permanent year-round occupancy.

W. Residence. See “Dwelling.”

X. “Road” means any vehicular way that is an existing county, municipal, or private roadway, either by use, by approved plat, or approved by other action, whether improved or unimproved and that is not classified as an avenue, boulevard, court, circle, drive, loop, lane, way, place, or street.

Y. “Street (St)” means a road designator/suffix for roads within an incorporated or unincorporated city or town.

Z. “Utility site” means a parcel which contains any type of utility service, located on a legal parcel of land with no association to a building, requiring periodic maintenance or readings by utility company personnel.

AA. “Way” means any vehicular way that is an existing county, municipal, or private roadway, either by use, by approved plat, or approved by other action, whether improved or unimproved and is one-half mile or less in length. (Ord. 2002-2 § 2(2.01), 2002)

Article III. Road Names

12.25.070 General.

All new private roads shall be named pursuant to this article. Proposed new private road names shall be subject to the following criteria:

A. Road names shall be pleasant sounding, appropriate and easy to read and pronounce.

B. The use of similar sounding names, names which are numerical (1st, 2nd), alphabetical letters (A, B), frivolous, complicated, or unconventional spellings shall be avoided.

C. Road names shall be no more than 15 letters, including the designator/suffix and spaces.

D. Duplication of road names shall not be allowed despite location in the county. Similar sounding names are considered duplication regardless of spelling.

E. No proposed road name shall be approved which begins with a word that appears as the first word in five or more current road names.

F. Final decisions on road names shall rest with the department.

G. Roads that connect to each other may not start with the same word.

H. Road names may not start with the same word as the road name of the point of origin. (Ord. 2002-2 § 2(3.01), 2002)

12.25.080 Road designator/suffix.

A road designator/suffix shall be required for all new private roads. Road (Rd), Drive (Dr), Circle (Cir), Court (Ct), Place (Pl), Loop (Lp), Lane (Ln), and Way may be used subject to definitions listed in OCC 12.25.060. (Ord. 2002-2 § 2(3.02), 2002)

12.25.090 Directional designators.

Directional designators shall not be used as the first word in any road name. Any directional designator shall bear the true direction of the road. Existing roads that use directional designators shall not be changed unless otherwise deemed necessary.

A. Road designators do not distinguish between different road names.

B. Roads may not have the same name with different road designators. (Ord. 2002-2 § 2(3.03), 2002)

12.25.100 Road origin and direction.

Each road shall have a designated origin. Generally, a road origin will be the most south or west beginning point of the road as accessed from another road. Final designated origin shall be determined by the Okanogan County road engineer for all public roads and the department for all private roads.

A. A continuous road or one proposed to be continuous should bear the same name throughout, regardless of changes in direction. If the road is interrupted by a highway, railroad, river, etc., and eventual connection is not probable, the segments shall bear different names.

B. Meandering roads or other roads that do not follow a main direction shall be designated as mainly running east/west or north/south and be numbered consistently along their lengths in regard to direction.

C. Roads which, under the same name, turn abruptly from one predominant direction to another shall be addressed consistently in one direction throughout their length according to whichever direction is the longest or as deemed appropriate by Okanogan County. (Ord. 2002-2 § 2(3.04), 2002)

12.25.110 New road names.

Names for newly created private roads will require the approval of 60 percent of the property owners in which the road travels through or abuts against their property. Proposed road names and signatures of property owners shall be provided on forms supplied by the department. In the event that a road name cannot be agreed upon by the property owners within 60 days of signature request, the department shall assign a road name. (Ord. 2002-2 § 2(3.05), 2002)

12.25.120 Renaming a private road.

A request for renaming a private road will require the approval of 100 percent of the property owners in which the road travels through or abuts against their property. Proposed road names and signatures of property owners shall be provided on forms supplied by the department. In the event that 100 percent approval is not obtained, the private road will not be renamed. (Ord. 2002-2 § 2(3.06), 2002)

12.25.130 Duplicate road names – City, town, county.

When a road name within unincorporated Okanogan County is duplicated by a road name within an incorporated city or town, the county shall work with the city or town to determine which road shall be renamed. (Ord. 2002-2 § 2(3.07), 2002)

12.25.140 Roads carrying more than one name.

Existing private roads now carrying more than one name may be changed to the name under which the road travels the longest distance or has the most addresses. The choice for the name shall be the responsibility of the department and shall be decided upon by determining which name change impacts the least number of addresses, subsequent to OCC 12.25.150, unless a different name is deemed desirable. (Ord. 2002-2 § 2(3.08), 2002)

12.25.150 Duplicate road names, unincorporated areas.

Duplicate road names may be changed by the department using the following criteria:

A. When the road was originally named;

B. The number of improved properties served by the road;

C. Other factors as deemed appropriate by the department. (Ord. 2002-2 § 2(3.09), 2002)

12.25.160 Final plats.

Prior to the filing of a final plat, all roads within or serving the development must be named and indicated on the final plat. (Ord. 2002-2 § 2(3.10), 2002)

12.25.170 Recorded surveys.

Road names identified on recorded surveys which are not currently recorded in the addressing database are not valid road names and shall not be used for physical addressing purposes unless the road name was created consistent with the provisions of this article. (Ord. 2002-2 § 2(3.11), 2002)

Article IV. Display of Road Names

12.25.180 Road sign required.

All private roads created under Article III shall have a sign posted pursuant to this article. (Ord. 2002-2 § 2(4.01), 2002)

12.25.190 Private road signs.

All existing and new private road signs shall be created by the Okanogan County public works department and shall have white reflective letters and a blue reflective background. Okanogan County public works department shall install all road signs located within Okanogan County rights-of-way, deeded, prescriptive, or otherwise. Installation of road signs located within private rights-of-way or easements shall be the responsibility of the landowner or applicant. Landowners are responsible for the maintenance of all private road signs. Fees for signs and installation shall be according to adopted Okanogan County fee schedules. (Ord. 2002-2 § 2(4.02), 2002)

12.25.200 Private ways.

Private ways, which have not been named pursuant to this chapter, shall not display signage as specified in OCC 12.25.190. (Ord. 2002-2 § 2(4.03), 2002)

12.25.210 Substandard/homemade signs.

Substandard or homemade signs shall not be allowed unless such sign is substantially consistent with the provisions of this article. The determination of consistency shall be left with the department. (Ord. 2002-2 § 2(4.04), 2002)

12.25.220 Final plats.

Prior to the filing of a final plat, proper road signage shall be installed for all roads within or serving the development. (Ord. 2002-2 § 2(4.05), 2002)

Article V. Assigning of Addresses

12.25.230 Physical address required.

When a public or private road, named or unnamed, provides legal access to three or more structures or uses as listed under Article II, such structures or uses shall be addressed off of that public or private road according to the primary access location onto the property. If the private road is not named, road naming procedures as outlined in Article III shall be used to name the road prior to assigning an address. (Ord. 2002-2 § 2(5.01), 2002)

12.25.240 Address assigned.

All physical addresses shall be issued from the road point of origin to the primary access location and not to the structure. Road origin shall be determined pursuant to OCC 12.25.100. (Ord. 2002-2 § 2(5.02), 2002)

12.25.250 Numerical designations.

All digits indicate the address distance in hundredths of miles from the origin of the address road to the primary access location to the site. For each mile there can be 100 addresses, 50 on each side of the road. The distance component of addresses on state highways will correspond to the Washington State Department of Transportation mileposts.

A. If adjacent primary access locations are closer than 0.01 miles (52.8 feet) and share the same distance number, the address of the property closest to the road origin will have the lower final digit.

B. When traveling from the point of origin of a public or private road, addresses assigned with odd numbers will indicate the location is on the left side of the road, even numbers will indicate the location is on the right side of the road. All addresses assigned shall be in sequential order. (Ord. 2002-2 § 2(5.03), 2002)

12.25.260 Change in road location.

If a public or private road right-of-way or location is altered, or any other condition causes doubt as to a correct physical address, the department shall assign a correct address consistent with the provisions of this chapter. (Ord. 2002-2 § 2(5.04), 2002)

12.25.270 Multiple units.

A. Any site which includes multiple apartments, suites, spaces, or other units must include the appropriate unit designator and number in the address following the road name. A map or drawing adequately locating each unit may be required prior to issuing physical addresses. Copies of as-built maps or drawings shall be provided to the appropriate emergency response agencies by the landowner and/or contractor.

B. Appropriate designators shall be APT/Apartment, RM/Room, BLDG/Building, CBN/Cabin, DEPT/Department, STE/Suite, SPC/Space, FL/Floor, TRLR/Trailer, HNGR/Hanger, UNIT/Unit, LOT/Lot. (Ord. 2002-2 § 2(5.05), 2002)

12.25.280 Accessory buildings.

More than one physical address may be assigned to a legal parcel of land. Accessory buildings may be addressed when one or more of the following characteristics exist:

A. If an additional building is used for residential, commercial, or business purposes;

B. There is power and/or telephone service to the building (either separate service or an extension of the service provided at the main building);

C. The building is not visible or accessible by emergency services from the main building. (Ord. 2002-2 § 2(5.06), 2002)

12.25.290 Continuation of incorporated city/town roads.

Existing physical addresses assigned from roads which begin with a city or town’s numbering scheme and extend into the county’s numbering scheme shall remain. (Ord. 2002-2 § 2(5.07), 2002)

12.25.300 Road segments between city/town and county.

In the event a new road segment is created between a city or town and the county, notification shall be given to the agencies involved to determine how addresses should be issued. In the event of an annexation into a city’s jurisdiction, physical addresses may be modified to indicate the change. (Ord. 2002-2 § 2(5.08), 2002)

12.25.310 Final plats.

Prior to the approval and recording of a final plat, all proposed lots which contain a dwelling must have a physical address and be indicated on the final plat. Physical addresses will not be issued to vacant lots unless required by this article. (Ord. 2002-2 § 2(5.09), 2002)

12.25.320 Recorded surveys.

Addresses identified on recorded surveys which are not currently recorded in the addressing database are not valid and shall not be used for physical addressing purposes unless the address was issued consistent with the provisions of this article. (Ord. 2002-2 § 2(5.10), 2002)

Article VI. Display of Addresses

12.25.330 Temporary display of physical address while under construction.

It shall be the duty of the property owner to obtain a correct physical address from the department and to display the assigned number(s) for any building required by this chapter. A temporary sign displaying the county assigned number(s) shall be posted on the lot within the property boundary of that lot during construction, facing the road from which the physical address is assigned. (Ord. 2002-2 § 2(6.01), 2002)

12.25.340 Final permit approval.

No building permit will be finalized for any building until the owner has obtained from the department the official physical address of the premises. Final approval of any structure erected, repaired, altered, or modified after the effective date of this chapter shall be withheld by the Okanogan County building department until permanent and proper numbers have been affixed to said structure or posted as required by this article. (Ord. 2002-2 § 2(6.02), 2002)

12.25.350 Display of physical address numbers.

It shall be the responsibility of the property owner, or mobile/manufactured home owner, to properly display and maintain the correct number that has been assigned. Numbers shall be a minimum of four inches in height placed on a contrasting background so that the location can be easily identified from the roadside from which the building is addressed. Displayed numbers shall be clearly readable and visible according to the following criteria:

A. Buildings situated 50 feet or less from the primary road surface shall display the correct number on the roadside of the structure and be visible from the roadside from which the building is addressed;

B. In the case of any building situated 50 feet or more from the primary road surface, or when the view of the building is blocked, the correct number shall be posted at the property line adjacent to the road side pursuant to the requirements of this article;

C. Addressable entities other than buildings, such as recreational lots or utility sites, shall display the correct number at the primary access location consistent with this section. (Ord. 2002-2 § 2(6.03), 2002)

12.25.360 Corner lots.

The building number shall face the road from which the address is assigned on all corner lots. (Ord. 2002-2 § 2(6.04), 2002)

12.25.370 Common road.

If less than three addresses use common primary access and the building is located more than 50 feet from the road from which the address was obtained, each address shall be posted at the intersection of the named road and will require additional posting at the building location consistent with OCC 12.25.350. (Ord. 2002-2 § 2(6.05), 2002)

Article VII. Retention of Records

12.25.380 List of road names and maps.

The department shall create and maintain a list of established road names within the county to be known as the “official private road list.” For the purpose of facilitating accurate addressing of all buildings, maps of all private roads within the county identifying all proper addresses shall be kept on file with the department. These maps shall be open to public inspection during regular business hours. (Ord. 2002-2 § 2(7.01), 2002)

Article VIII. Enforcement and Penalties

12.25.390 Violations.

It shall be unlawful for any person, firm, corporation or business to:

A. Erect or install a private road sign not in accordance with this chapter;

B. Remove, alter, change or deface a private street name sign or address numbers erected or installed as required by this chapter;

C. Place or post addresses not approved by this chapter; or

D. Fail to place, erect or install address numbers visible from roads as required by this chapter. (Ord. 2002-2 § 2(8.01), 2002)

12.25.400 Civil enforcement.

Except as set forth elsewhere in this chapter, violation of this chapter shall constitute a civil infraction. If the department notifies a landowner in writing that a violation has occurred, the landowner shall correct the violation or be subject to penalties according to the following schedule.

Number of days uncorrected	Fine
30 or less	0
31 to 60	$25
61 to 90	$50
91 to 120	$100
120+	See OCC 12.25.410

(Ord. 2002-2 § 2(8.02), 2002)

12.25.410 Criminal enforcement.

A. Failure to correct a violation of this chapter for more than 120 days after receiving written notice of violation from the department shall constitute a misdemeanor, the penalty upon conviction for which shall be a fine not exceeding $500.00, or imprisonment not exceeding 90 days, or both.

B. The nonpayment of penalties as set forth in OCC 12.25.400 shall constitute a misdemeanor, the penalty upon conviction for which shall be a fine not exceeding $500.00, or imprisonment not exceeding 90 days, or both. (Ord. 2002-2 § 2(8.03), 2002)

Article IX. Disclaimer

12.25.420 Not liable – Improper road name or address.

Okanogan County shall assume no liability if the location of any emergency call cannot be responded to by emergency service personnel due to lack of posting of physical address or if physical address is not visible from the road providing access to the property. (Ord. 2002-2 § 2(9.01), 2002)

Article X. Deviations

12.25.430 Deviations from literal compliance.

The director may, after conferring with appropriate agencies, grant minor deviations from literal compliance with the requirements of this chapter. Such deviations are intended to provide relief from literal compliance with specific provisions of this chapter in instances where there is an obvious practical problem with doing so, while still adequately addressing the property in a manner which may be easily located in an emergency. (Ord. 2002-2 § 2(10.01), 2002)

Article XI. Appeals

12.25.440 Appeals procedure.

Appeals of final decisions of the department under this chapter may be initiated by filing an appeal with the department within 30 days following the issuance of the decision. The appellant shall complete an appeal form provided by the department which states the specific reasons for the appeal, and shall pay all applicable fees as outlined on the current Okanogan County fee schedule. The appeal shall be heard by the Okanogan board of county commissioners. The appeal shall be limited to a review of the record by the board and limited to the issues raised in the appeal. Appeals under this chapter shall be consolidated with appeals of any other permits related to the subject property. (Ord. 2002-2 § 2(11.01), 2002)